NIO: All Documents

Written Question

Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023

Friday 28th March 2025

Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government, as part of the King’s Speech, committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act). This legislation, which was taken through Parliament by the previous Government, is almost universally opposed, including by families of individuals who lost their lives whilst serving the State in Northern Ireland. Several provisions of that legislation have also been found to be unlawful by the domestic courts, including provisions relating to immunity. Litigation regarding the Act - which remains ongoing - has incurred significant cost to the public purse.

This Government is taking a different approach to that of the previous government, in seeking to implement legacy mechanisms that can comply fully with our human rights obligations and command confidence across communities. Through the Stormont House Agreement and New Decade, New Approach, £250 million has been allocated in order to deliver legacy mechanisms.

Written Question

Army: Northern Ireland

Friday 28th March 2025

Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of restoring the Loughgall inquest.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government is committed to repeal and replace the almost universally opposed - and in many respects, unlawful - Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act). As part of this commitment, the Government has been consistently clear that we will propose measures to allow inquests previously halted by the Legacy Act to proceed, as set out in my written ministerial statements of 29 July 2024 and 7 October 2024, and in my oral statement of 4 December 2024.

Funding for coronial inquests, as a policing and justice matter, falls within the devolved competence of the Northern Ireland Executive. While there are also associated costs for Government departments, including in terms of resourcing our responses to disclosure requests from a coroner, it is important to note that such requirements also apply to cases that are investigated by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Through the Stormont House Agreement and New Decade, New Approach, £250 million has been allocated in order to deliver legacy mechanisms.